Revisiting the top NBA backcourt debate

A few years ago, before the Warriors had broken through and the 3-point revolution had overwhelmed the NBA, there was a debate we used to have.

Fueled by the sudden success of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry in Golden State, questions bubbled up about whether or not the Bay Area duo was the league’s overall best pair of guards. Somehow, an argument best left to fans on message boards and subreddit threads actually picked up steam across the entire league, with players and coaches weighing in.

Wings own the league nowadays, so having a dominant pair of guards isn’t as valuable as it once was. Guards must create open shots for their teammates as much as they look to score. If they cannot also space the floor without the ball or play defense, they lose value, so several teams have prioritized 3-and-D wings and rim-protectors above ball-handlers.

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Yet there are several teams still fortunate enough to have a pair of guards so individually valuable that they can overcome lesser wings and bigs and unlock elite lineup combinations. Because of the way the modern game asks point guards to play, many of these ball-handlers have become the league’s biggest stars. A lot has changed since that first 67-win Golden State season generated this conversation.

Which pairs are the best right now? We have to consider quite a few things: statistics, accolades, fit, fame and being good teammates. Only a handful of guys stand out.

1. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors

In 2013, Curry scored 22 points per game and shot 45 percent from 3 as he paired with the second-year Thompson to take the Warriors to the second round of the playoffs. Since then, there has not been a better starting backcourt in the NBA.

Neither has played less than 77 games in any season, shot less than 40 percent from distance nor posted a negative Box Plus-Minus in the four years since. They combined for 106 win shares from 2012-2017, and added a second championship to their case last June.

Over the past two-plus seasons, Golden State has outscored opponents by 18 points per 100 possessions with both Thompson and Curry on the court, according to NBA Wowy. The Warriors as a team have not fallen below 10th in effective field goal percentage since 2012-13, and have finished first in that category three times in five seasons.

Thompson and Curry are each above average on both ends of the floor and can create their own shot, plus find openings for their teammates. Together, they crumple opposing defenses — it’s impossible to stay honest when these guys are roaming around the court and Golden State’s armada of passers is looking their way.

Nobody has been more excellent overall in the last five years than the Warriors’ Splash Brothers. Their rise stirred the pot and started this debate, and the heights they reached eventually established a tier which they alone occupy.

2. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors

We got to the controversial part of this list so quickly.

Lowry and DeRozan are in a different (lesser) category compared to most of the NBA’s superstars in terms of fame, playing in Canada for an unsexy team that has never been able to compete for a title. I’ll concede all of that.

However, Lowry has been an absolute monster over five seasons in Toronto, and his development was finally (and incredibly) superseded the last few years by DeRozan’s scoring production, which rivals anybody’s in the NBA.

Last year, they combined for 50 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists per game and both had a true shooting percentage over 55. They rarely turn the ball despite each having a usage rate over 25 percent. Dwane Casey’s offense makes magic every night thanks to Lowry and DeRozan, and their efficient productivity allowed them to earn the trust of management and stick around this summer, despite a retool on the Raptors’ margins.

The incredible play of Toronto’s starting backcourt has helped develop youngsters like Norman Powell and Delon Wright over the years, to the extent that now those younger players are able to contribute in the rotation during Lowry’s waning years.

Plus, the Raptors have made the playoffs in each of the last four years, including two Eastern Conference Finals wins in 2016. Outside of Oakland, no two guards on this list can touch Toronto’s recent win-loss record.

3. James Harden and Chris Paul, Houston Rockets

There is only one team in the league this year that could credibly stake a claim to the Warriors’ throne. It resides in Houston, where Paul found a deal after opting out of free agency last June. When he returns from knee injury in a couple weeks, he will rejoin Harden in the Rockets’ terrifying new starting lineup.

For comparison’s sake, this duo has actually exceeded the wild win share totals amassed by Thompson and Curry. Though we’ve hardly seen them together at all, Paul and Harden have totaled 126 win shares over the past five seasons. Based on talent alone, these guys would be the favorites for the top spot. By season’s end, they could be there. We just haven’t seen them together enough to catapult them up top quite yet.

In the 21 minutes (a hilariously small sample but let’s have some fun) that Harden and Paul shared the court on opening night, the Rockets had an offensive rating of 122. They also had a defensive rating of 115, but that’s a plus-six per 100 possessions thanks to that filthy offense. If Paul can get his body right and Harden can remain elite off the ball, the Rockets should have the league’s best offense once more, and a higher ceiling than any backcourt in the league.

4. John Wall and Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards

The Wizards’ young pairing has had massive playoff success several times over in the short span of their career together. That they can already claim 19 playoff wins in Beal’s five-year NBA career is a strong point for anyone arguing the supremacy of the Wizards’ backcourt. Washington was nearly a conference finalist last season, and are the favorites to do so this year following Gordon Hayward’s injury.

In last year’s playoffs, Wall and Beal popped off for over 50 points, 13 assists and three steals per game playing nearly 40 minutes per contest. Two years prior (with a clunky ninth-place finish in the conference slouched between), Beal actually scored at about the same rate individually and made plays much more efficiently for the rest of the roster despite shooting quite a bit worse.

But Wall, now in the midst of his prime, has been most responsible for the team’s growth. He was a killer in last year’s playoffs, posting 32-14 and 42-8 lines in the first round before a 40-13 line in the semifinals against Boston.

The seven-year veteran has expanded his game beyond straight-line speed and weak-side passes. He can throw people open like a championship quarterback, and has sculpted his athleticism into the most useful speed in the NBA. He was second only to Harden producing points off of passes last year, with 13.1 adjusted assists per game and 25.3 assist points created, according to NBA.com tracking data.

Unfortunately, this list requires a track record of success outside of the first and second rounds. It’s difficult to look past the .500 record the Wizards mailed in two seasons ago, and for all their playoff success, they’ve still never cracked the conference finals.

5. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, Portland Trailblazers

You know what you’re getting from Lillard and McCollum at this point: tremendous scoring and shooting, versatile offensive packages and at least 35 wins. They too combined for 50 points per game last season, with both guys at a .580 true shooting percentage. It’s super rare to have two players so versatile, gifted and productive on the same team with their timelines so finely synced.

However, neither has ever posted a positive defensive box plus minus despite legit defensive talent supporting them in Portland. They give much more than they take away, but the pains of playing them together have already become worrisome enough that trade rumors have gotten louder.

Despite playing in a smaller market, they are also two of the NBA’s more recognizable second-tier stars, especially on social media. Lillard has a blossoming rap career, while McCollum has used the Player’s Tribune and his Twitter account to become an important voice. We see the power of stuff like this when the Blazers are able to force their way into the running for a talented and powerful player like Carmelo Anthony.

Even one deep playoff run would help show that the Blazers can be competitive with these two as their leaders. Instead, each season has become an all-out grind to break even, make the playoffs and earn the right to get swept by much better and more balanced teams.

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Honorable Mention: Goran Dragic and Dion Waiters, Miami Heat

They’re just a notch below the top guys on this list statistically, at 35 points and 10 assists per game with less efficient shooting. Waiters brings the averages down, but infuses Miami with a dynamism that is partially responsible for the competitiveness they discovered during the back half of last season. Without Waiters, the Heat offense likely falls even lower than league average.

He is struggling to start the new season, but Dragic has been his typical self. If Waiters can build on a dazzling contract year and gain smoother chemistry with Dragic and the rest of Miami’s roster, the Heat could find some magic heading into the postseason.

All statistics in this piece have been updated through Tuesday morning.